Friday, September 30, 2011

I'm hosting a linky party at Inspiration Studio - we are sharing photos, painting, writing, etc that were inspired by a song. There is still plenty of time to join in, so take a minute this weekend, turn on some music, create and share it with us!

My photo for the linky party (above) was inspired by the Grace Potter and the Nocturnal's song Colors.
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Wednesday, September 28, 2011

It served as the inspiration for my other St George project last week. I took two Ikea Rast Dressers and with a bit of paint turned them from this:

To this:

I've been pushing myself lately to start doing something with the things I pin - turning the inspiration into actual projects. It feels good knowing that all the time I'm investing pinning is actually paying off.

Have you turned your pins into projects yet? Or are you still holding out on Pinterest?

Monday, September 26, 2011

I spent last week in St George on vacation - and it was one of those vacations where I came home rested and feeling like I accomplished something. I don't have a TV or the internet at my house there, so except for a daily visit to the library to check email, I spent the week unplugged and it was just what I needed.

For the first time I attempted a bit of furniture painting - and while it didn't go exactly as planned I think it was a decent first attempt and I learned a few things I'll use on my next projects.

I found this pair of chairs at the DI (Utah's version of Goodwill) for $6 each. They'd seen better days, but I loved the shape. It took a couple of tries to find the color I was after, I have blue feet thanks to spay paint fumes, I discovered that wearing a mask while sanding is a must and I have decided I will never again forget to borrow a power sander.

I'm still trying to decide on a fabric to recover the seats with, but I'm loving the bold blue color.

I also rehabbed some old bookcases that have been knocking around my house for years. I think these things have survived at least 5 moves, but then needed a fresh new look. The white made them feel fresher (they were a blonde wood shade before), but I thought they needed a splash of color too so I painted some foam core board a sunny color and put them in the back of the shelves making it easy to switch to a new color when the mood strikes.

In honor of my unplugged week - here is an unplugged version of a song I love: Sarah Buxton & Jedd Hughes' Big Blue Sky.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

I've said several times in the past couple of weeks that I'm in no way ready to let go of summer. I'm just not ready for the shorter days and the snow. But after watching this storm roll in over the mountains, I started to remember all the things I love about Autumn: the colors, the smells, and the beautiful art that fills the skies as the clouds move in.

I'm trying to remember that Autumn is one of my favorite seasons and not to resent the fact that this week I went from wearing Haviana's to Uggs (my office has suddenly gotten cold in the mornings.)

Are you excited for the changing seasons? Or are you like me, still clinging to summer?

I haven't listened to Ane Brun for a while, but I was skimming through my music collection and saw her "Changing of the Seasons" album, pulled it out and rediscovered her song: "The Fall." Perfect for the mood I'm in today.
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Monday, September 19, 2011

For the first 18 years of my life I saw this peak nearly every day of my life. It was a grounding point, the mountain I looked at in the morning on the way home from school and each evening at the end of the day.

It seems impossible, but I've now spent more years away from it than I did with it. I've seen some of the most amazing places on earth - but Carter's Peak still says home to me.

Do you have something that says home to you? A lake? A building? A river?

I've spent the week with the new Ryan Tanner EP playing, it is amazing, I love his "Don't Forget to Take it With You When You Go," take a listen:

Friday, September 16, 2011

It seems lately that by the time Friday rolls around I am beyond ready for the weekend, today is no different. I'm hoping to spend some time chilling out and enjoying the beauty all around.

I'm also getting read to celebrate some birthdays next week - my mom's and my own (Happy Birthday MOM!) I'm not particularly happy about getting a year older, but I've made it a tradition over the last few years to take each birthday has a chance to spend some time reflecting on where I'm at and where I want to go in the next year.

This year I think I've learned that some of the very best things that have ever happened to me are the things I didn't plan, but because I was willing to take a leap into the unknown, changed my life for the better. I'm hoping this year will bring new adventures and challenges.

Today, Alison Krauss's Gravity is feeling a bit like it was written for me.

Did you know we relaunched Inspiration Studio this week? We are working on a playlist full of the musical artists who inspire us to create. I'd love it if you'd hop on over here and share your favorites.

It's taken me a few months, but I've gradually reclaimed my office and have expanded the gallery wall. It is so fun to walk in here each morning and see the amazing art created by my friends. I hope to continue to grow my collection of art - it is a huge wall and I hope that someday it is covered by the work of my inspiring and talented friends.

A couple of quick notes about my collection - some pieces I've purchased, some were gifted and others were won in giveaways, but no matter how each was acquired, I love them equally. I also have a few pieces that have landed in other places in my house that I hope to get around to sharing one day soon.

I discovered The Low Anthem a few weeks ago and can't get enough, if you get a chance give them a listen, here's one of my favorites: Don't Tremble.
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Monday, September 12, 2011

A few weeks ago I read a post from Courtney where she shared some of the beautiful photos she captured in her yard, she wondered what her neighbors must have thought of her rolling around in the grass to get the shots she was after.

Just as I finished reading I stepped outside to pick up my mail. As I walked to the mailbox, I glanced down and noticed a spiderweb in the grass that was still full of the morning dew. With Courtney's adventures fresh in my mind, I decided to grab my camera and see if I could entertain my neighbors and get a photo that captured the beauty of that morning.

When was the last time you rolled around in your front yard to capture a photo?

One of my very favorite songs is "Light of a Clear Blue Morning." It was written and originally recorded by Dolly Parton, but in my mind this Allison Moorer cover is pure perfection and the song I turn to when I need to remember that each new morning brings a fresh start and a chance to keep improving.

Friday, September 9, 2011

Last weekend my family headed to St George - I finally got to share my new vacationhouse with my sister. We met up with extended family to see The Little Mermaid at Tuacahn Amphitheater. It was so fun to catch up with everyone before the show and again the next night at my house for a BBQ (I'm of the opinion that you aren't truly moved into a place until you have at least one party.)

For those of you from outside of Utah - Tuacahn is an amazing theatre nestled in the red rocks of Southern Utah (near Zion's National Park.) Little Mermaid was very well done - and the little girls in our group loved it. Miss M got so excited when Ariel got her voice back - her face lit up and she made sure we all understood what had just happened. She was also incredibly proud of the fact that she didn't get scared and have to close her eyes.

We also discovered that those dance classes must be paying off. While we were waiting for the show to start, she found a small stage and decided she HAD to get up there and dance for us - this shy little girl may just be coming out of her shell.

My favorite song from The Little Mermaid is - Under the Sea, I can't hear it without wanting to dance.

Have you seen the Little Mermaid stage production? Do you have a favorite song from the movie/show? The Lion King is still my favorite Disney movie done Broadway style, but Little Mermaid just moved up the list.

NOTE: I'm still having google problems and can't comment on some blogs, it seems to depend on how the comments section is structured. I'm still working on finding a fix, but know if I haven't left a comment, it isn't because I'm not reading.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Note: I'm having problems with my google account - first all the blogs I subscribe to disappeared, once I got that fixed I discovered I can't comment. I'm doing my best to keep up with all of you - even if you aren't getting comments from me.

It has been a while since I participated in any sort of photo challenge, so when I saw Kat'sProcess of Elimination, challenge last week I knew it was time to give it another try.

A few weeks ago I went to my niece's dance class - it was the final class for the summer so families were invited to see what the girls had learned. In one portion of the class the girls showed off their ballet positions.

For my process of elimination photos I decided to focus in on her feet and the adjustments she made as she tried to find first position - which are similar to the adjustments I make as I experiment with photography and photo editing (I also decided to experiment with some of Kim Klassen's textures on these photos.) Sometimes it works and sometimes it isn't quite right. But I think bot Miss M and would both agree that most of the fun comes from the attempt.

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Does anyone else feel like August lasted one week instead of four? For me it just flew by and September is off to a similarly speedy start!

Thanks for your kind words on my August Break Travel Series. Just as I decided to participate in the break this year I decided I needed a gallery wall in my house and thought a wall full of some of my favorite travel photos would be fun. So I decided to combine the two into one project. The project is going well, I have all the photos printed and framed, now I just need to get them hung.

My original August Break plan was to use the extra time to finish up a few projects at home and to spend more time with family and friends. Thanks to a huge couple of work projects, things didn't go quite as planned (when do they ever), but it was still a relaxing way to blog for a month. I, however, have really missed regular blogging and can't wait to jump back in.

A couple of weeks ago I got to see Adele in concert. She was amazing, she moved me to tears a couple of times. Let's kick off September in style:

Friday, September 2, 2011

I know August is over, but I got a late start on August Break and I'm out of town for the holiday weekend, so I'm stretching my travel series for one more post. Thanks for sticking with me as I re-live all the trips I'm NOT taking this year. I'm ready to jump back into blogging next week.